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A well resepected hot hatch that handles like a Go kart, Does 35+ mpg

What a fun fun fun little hot hatch this car is. I have a 02 172 in Monaco blue done just 59000 miles. I paid just £3000 for this fun little motor. Ive owned M3's, imprezza STI's and TT's and i tell you now they were no where near as fun to own and drive then the little Clio.It has a 2.0 16V VVT engine producing 172ps, a close ratio 5 speed gearbox. They were great value for money when they were brand new as you could buy a new one for just £12995 from garages and theres not many cars (if any) that you could of bought for that amount of money and power at the time. What you get for your money is alot. The standard equipment includes electric windows, remote central locking, climate control, ABS, Xenon headlights (that look amazing) even some BMW M3's dont have these, plus much more......lol

The best thing about the Clio Sport isnt just that its a small car that will do 0-60 in around 7 seconds, top out in around 135+ mph and handle like no other front wheel drive car, its how frugal it is while doing this!

I work about ten mins from where i live so im only mainly doing sort journeys but im getting on average, Ready??? 35+MPG!!!! With the nasty sneaky govenment keep putting the price fuel up and up theres not anything in its class that is this quick and and that great on fuel. In mixed driving conditons such as a quick blast through the gears on country lanes and then 60-7- MPH on the motorway it easily goes up to 40-43MPG i absolutly love it and i really really recommend one of these!!

As long as you can find a good 172 as theres alot of thrased abussed ones out there and you can afford the insurance (group 16 Ins) go and spend just just £2000 - £3000 and have some fun.

Mine has a full stainless steel exhaust system and ive just fitted a Pipercross induction airfilter and it sounds AMAZZZZZING!!! Im not a boy racer as im nearly 30 i just appriciate a nice sounding car and its not a 1.2 that some 17 year old has done up and do it, you wont be disappointed.

The newer model is the 182 Clio, the difference between to 182 and the 172 (apart from the10 bhp as it has a uprated exhaust manifold, which you can fit on your 172 to up the power, wink wink) is different wheels, cruise control and a twin exit exhaust system and the extra grand or more on the price and isnt really any quicker so save your money.

If you love your cars and want somethig that is a quick hot hatch, that will out run Porsche Boxters and most BMW's on the bends but dont want to live at the petrol stations like them then its a no brainer go and get your self a Renault Clio Sport 172!

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fantastic

i have owned my clio sport 182 cup for just over a year now and its deffo the hottest hatchback around!! i have the racing blue colour with gordini stripes which looks stunning and always catches peoples eyes when im driving it. 182bhp which does 0-60mph in under 7seconds! its a 2 litre 16V and on average i get about 37mpg. it sounds great when you put your foot down, it handles brilliant in all types of weather and the level of grip is amazing. the accelleration pins you back in the seat! this is a car you'll fall in love with. it has a firm suspension and standar fitted ABS and ESP. interior is dark grey alcantra which gives a high-quality feel. it comes with a cd player, cruise control and air con and dark grey alloys. only problems ive had with my car is with the alarm (which is in the process of being fixed) no other problems what so ever. the road tax for the year is a little expensive at £205 for the year, but dont let this put you off!! you will not be dissapointed with the clio sport 182 cup!

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A decent little car indeed although there have been a few problems.

THE CLIO SPORT.*****************In early December my Partners new toy eventually turned up. The new toy in question was a brand new Renault Clio Sport. 2.0L 16V, Shiny and black, perfectly polished and with less than ten miles on the clock. Whats more as a company car it was completely free! A saving of around £15,000. The Clio Sport, originally introduced in 2002, is a limited edition 3-door car and thus there arent many on the roads. The car benefits from a suspension system developed for maximum driving efficiency. In addition to being lightened by 80kg which helps the car to fly along. This it certainly does, the Clio has a maximum speed of 137mph, it will do 0-60mph in 6.8seconds and has 172bhp.

We have both been driving the Clio for the last couple of months and now it feels like one of the family, I thought it was time to share my initial thoughts.

THE PROS**********All in all the Clio Sport is a great little car. It is smart, roomy enough on the inside and it is certainly nippy to say the least. It sounds and looks good and at 29.04 miles per gallon this unleaded car doesnt guzzle petrol to the extreme.

In addition the Clio comes with all the mod cons: cruise control, a great sound system, climate control, fingertip stereo controls on the steering wheel, headlights which come on automatically as soon as it gets dark, plenty of room in the boot, central locking, adjustable sterring wheel, electric windows, and rain sensitive front window wipers, which speed up/slow down depending on the rain fall. All of these things combine to make the experience inside the car one which is much more pleasant and comfortable as a driver.

In addition the front seats are very comfy and they go back a long way if a passenger wants to sleep. They is also plenty of leg room in the front. The headrests are particularly good. They are the ideal shape to put you head against and they really stand out as a positive feature. I have never personally been in the back, but it appears that there is enough leg room, although for long journeys it may well get a little uncomfortable back there; this is at the end of the day, a small car.

THE CONS***********But what about the cons? Well, over Christmas we went on a long road trip, the first really long trip the car had undertaken and it was down in Swansea that we encountered the first problem. I was parking up when Paul noticed a clicking noise coming from the front passenger side wheel. He had the windows open, checking how far I was from the curb (being very paranoid about his brand new wheel trims), or you wouldnt have been able to hear it. I came out of the space so he could have a look into this further and we established that the clicking could only be heard if you were driving very slowly. Removal of the passenger side wheel cover revealed that one of the wheel nuts had actually managed to work itself lose and was literally hanging out. The words bl**dy French engineers were used. We checked the rest of the wheel nuts and thankfully the rest were fine, but still, having a wheel nut hanging out didnt exactly inspire us with confidence.

Problem number two is the tyres. Because this is a sports car it has a huge exhaust. This runs under the boot where you would usually stick your spare tire. There is no spare tire at all. Instead we get two antipuncture inflators, although if you do ever have to use this it is worth noting that it isnt going to be a barrel of laughs. You arent meant to drive above 40mph and for no more than 100miles. Clearly this would be a problem if you were on a long journey or on a motorway. In addition we have had to have one of the back tires changed already because of a visible nail. Fine no problem youd think. But these are special sporty tires and thus Kwik Fit or any other garage for that matter arent likely to have them hanging around. My partner waited a day for his new tyres as the nearest place they had them was in York. He got it in a hurry as he needs the car for work and he doesnt have to foot the expense. Other owners may not be so lucky.

Another criticism of the car, is the extra effort required when parking. To make the car look more sporty there is virtually no space above the wheels, thus they cant turn as far around. This makes a surprising amount of difference when you are reverse parking or parking in a car-park space. It is harder initially but with time this is something that I have got used to and I dont tend to notice it anymore. Those who arent confident parkers however, may want to bear this in mind.

Visability from behind is also a little bit of an issue when you first start driving this car. I find this more than my partner as I sit nearer the steering wheel and when I glance behind me it is hard to see out the back because of the position of the seats. However, with a little time you get the hang of the positon you need to be in to see and this isn't a major con at all.

SUMMARY.*********** I really do like the Clio. Its a nice car to drive, providing a smooth and comfortable ride and it sure gets going on the motorway. Im debating whether I think the cons above merit the loss of one star or two and I think I can only merit the loss of one. This is a good car but really it isnt very family friendly. It is definitely more of a mans car and theres no need to buy it unless you are really into your speed. Four stars for the Clio Sport it is then!

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Quick, economical, french, good handling, fairly practical

I purchased my 2002 clio sport from Camden renault in Milton Keynes. I was the second owner having bought it with 6000 miles on the clock. I didn't bother test driving the thing - I just coughed up and drove it away. I certainly wan't disappointed!

Driving the clio is a fairly frantic affair with the engine needing to be worked hard to keep it sailing along at pace. The acceleration through the gears is good. First gear takes you to about 35, 2nd to about 55 and the all important 60mph being made in third (0-60 is quoted as 7.1 secs I believe). The VVT timing shift is really noticeable and akin to mild turbocharged engine sensation.

This car really performs its best on the A and B roads where you can drift the car easily and with some confidence. It regularly cocks its inside rear wheel when your giving it gravy! In truth you can keep up with most things on the backroads, but you have to know the car and its limits and take it there!

Motorway driving is good fun too, with 80mph in Fifth indicating about 4500rpm. Drop it into 4th and your into the VVT switching point and it really shifts along.

I had this car for 3yrs and it gave 32-34mpg on commute to work (15miles). If you do short journeys you'll get about 28-30mpg. This with a typical driving style of the odd blasts to overtake and fairly swift acceleration.

Cost of ownership isn't too bad either. A tank of petrol is about 40 litres and it will do 250miles or so. Tyres are reasonably priced at about £85 a corner and servicing at Renault every 12k miles works out about £300.

The only downside to the car is the Renault build quality. As my car aged it got a few creaks, rattles and groans. Other than that its a well specced car with a good stereo, air con, leather/alacantara seats etc. Its a great fun car and I'm glad I owned one.

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"lack of options"

Over the past few months I have been contemplating buying a new car, my old car ( a MK2 Golf Driver) wasn't fun to drive anymore, and the annual cost of maintaining it was too expensive for my liking. I recently took proud ownership of a brand new Limited Edition Renaultsport 172 Cup. A stripped out and race prepared version of the standard (if there is such a thing) 172. I'd been toying with several cars within my price range of £14000....A new Mini Cooper S and a Honda Civic Type R were the other main competitors, but brand new were too expensice and quiet rare 2nd hand or nearly new.... One of my friends had bought one in the summer, and I had been out in it several times....it is an awesome car, its handling is excellent, very stable around corners, allowing you to throw it around as much as you like, but always maintaining the idea that its easy to push it too far, it certainly takes a fine balance. The ride is firm, but I expected that due to its high performance nature. The car is a 3 door hatchback and costs £12,995 otr. The driving position isn't ideal for me, but better than my golf, I prefer to sit quite upright when driving, however there is plenty of leg room for me (I'm 6ft 3). As far as I'm concerned the car is an excellent performance/drivers car, it has none of the trimmings the stock 172 has, Air conditioning is gone, as is sound-deadening, there is thinner glass and only single CD changer, but most importantly ABS has been removed ( the braking system is different and designed to aid progressive breaking used in race envirionments). This has all been done to reduce weight (89kgs has been shaved off) the car weighs almost exactly a ton, performance figures have also improves....0-60 comes up in 6.9 seconds instead of 7.4. It also retains a driver and passenger airbag. Comparing this car to its rivals is no easy task I had a very hard time wondering wether to try and scrape together some more money and get the Honda Civic Type - R, is spent weeks test drving both. The Gearchange and driving position were more comfortable in the Civic. Finally I made the decision that the Clio was better, the engine although not as rev-happy as the Type - R is more responsive, and the ride is more responsive and informative, also the cost £3000 less than the Type - R is not to be sniffed at. The Clio Cup has had an exclusive run in this country of 800, ensuring a very resale value, the range has its own colour (Mondial Blue) and has a service interval of 12000 miles. The downside is that each Cup is the same colour, and its styling means its hard to differentiate from the rest of the Clio range, its good, because its a less obvious target for thieves and vandals, but you lose that iar of exclusivity. It has average milage in its class, although its more economical than its peers.

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"too fast ?"

The CLio Renaultsport 2.0 16v 172 (or 172), is (arguably) the most powerful car in its class, and leaves little doubt as to its intentions - with alloy wheels (15inch OZ alloys), front foglamps, double optic headlamps, sports seats (emblazoned with the Renaultsport logo) and white racing instrument dials. Under the sporting skin, is a sharp, reworked steering wrack and taunt, sports-tuned suspension. The engine itself is a monster. a 2.0 16v renault sport engineered beast(1998cc multipoint fuel injection), with variable valve timing, that develops a huge 172bhp - propelling this antisocial vehicle to 60mph in around 6.8 seconds. Whilst the gearbox is only 5 speed (enthusiasts would have preferred 6), it has a brilliantly short throw and is positioned slightly higher up to facilitate sporty driving. The maximum speed is around 138mph. This car is very highly specified, with a 6 cd changer, 4 airbags, air-con,electric windows, electric mirrors, immobilser and alarm, and a full leather/alcantera interior. However, I did not buy this car for the interior or the high specification - I bought it for the engine, the sports set up and the body kit. PERFORMANCE :- One word - amazing. After a 1500 mile run in staying under 3500 revs (which was torture), the experience of opening up this monster is a joy. The engine has a throaty roar, and gets to 65mph in 2 gear. 3rd gear gets you to 95mpg (@7000revs) and 4th gear to 120mph (where the law permits, of course.) Road holding is perfect, and this car is as happy on the racing track as it is on the road. The breaks are truly stunning too. 100mph to 0 takes just 3.89secs - a faster breaking time than a Ferrari 360 Modena (thanks to the ABS, EBD -electronic braking distribution) ! There is nothing like flooring it in second to overtake, throwing it into 3rd at 5000 revs and then slaming on the brakes for a corner 'complex'. As far as the engineering goes, this car is, in my opinion perfect. PROBLEMS:- Like all French cars, the 172 has rattles. For me, this is not a problem - I bought the car for the performance , and I could not care a less about anything ( as long as the perfomance is not impaired.) As far as I am concerned, this is the only problem (although other 172 owners did report water leaks etc). I personally have not had ANY faults/breakdowns in 8000 miles. PRICE - I paid 15000 pounds for this beauty, and It has been worth EVERY penny. This is without a doubt, the biggest bang for your buck. The insurance category is D though, which for me meant a premium of 3500 pounds ! The new model of the 172 is essentially the same, with a few cosmetic improvements. If you ever get the chance to buy a second hand 172 (2000 model), take it. I guarantee you that you will not regret it.